The lyrics to Carrickfergus as we now know them were first recorded by Dominic Behan in the mid 1960s.

He said he had learnt the song from fellow Irishman and actor Peter O’Toole.

The words tell the story of a wandering rover who is separated from his lover.

He cannot get to her because the sea lies between them. There are similar versions of the lyrics in most English speaking countries across the world, but Carrickfergus is probably the most widely known and recorded.